12.4 million people in Syria face food insecurity this year: WFP

The World Food Program (WFP) yesterday said that an additional 4.5 million Syrians have become food insecure over the past year, bringing the total number of people on the brink of hunger to a record 12.4 million. 

In a press release, the UN agency said that an economic crisis, job losses amid the pandemic and soaring food prices have added up to the suffering of Syrian people worn down by a decade of conflict. After ten years of conflict, Syrian families have exhausted their savings as they



face a spiralling economic crisis. The agency has warned that an additional 1.8 million more would become severely food insecure unless urgent action is taken.

To ensure that aid continues to flow into Syria, the WFP requires an additional 375.3 million US dollars until July 2021. The UN Office of the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs said earlier, it will need a total of 4.2 billion US dollars to target 10.5 million in Syria with assistance this year.